


Understanding - a BBC Sherlock fanfic snippet

by Sheffield



Series: Archenemy [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Dark!Mycroft, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-13
Updated: 2010-08-13
Packaged: 2017-10-30 09:26:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/330236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sheffield/pseuds/Sheffield





	Understanding - a BBC Sherlock fanfic snippet

Understanding

BBC Sherlock fanfic  

_It's quick, certainly. There is a car, a footstep, sudden darkness. He's not *hurt*, strictly speaking, except his pride. Only he's not in control any more, not of anything. That much is clear. Food, drink, movement, light - well, he can manage. Do without if he must. He won't beg. Air. That part is hard. And time. He waits. Breathes. It's enough, for the moment_

***

As he opens the door he hears Sherlock call: "John?"  
He smiles and starts up the stairs. His foot is on the first step when his brother says:  
"Of course not. Mycroft. Well? Come on up. What do you want?"  
"A little help, is all," He climbs quickly. He does so want to be able to see Sherlock's face at the point he reasons his way to the inevitable.  
"I told you last week. No. It's a tedious non-problem. Come back when you want something interesting."  
Almost there...  
"But why would you come back when I've already said no? I don't change my mind on a whim, you have known me all my life, ergo..."  
There. He reaches the doorway just in time to see the cold realisation hit.  
"What have you done with him?"  
"Don't be tiresome, Sherlock. I didn't think it would be necessary for me to remind you again that I'm the elder brother and you have to do as I say. But perhaps I was wrong to be so lenient. I've let you live where you please, handle your own money, make your own decisions. And all I ask is a little cooperation in return."  
"Missing more than 24 hours... Cover at the surgery, so using official resources, very interesting. A stun gun, to be quiet but certain. Have you damaged him?"  
"You know me better than that."  
"You broke the puppy's leg."  
"Experimentally. You wanted to know, too."  
"You blinded the pony."  
"Point. But you had hidden my air rifle. Quite ingeniously, might I add."  
"John Watson is mine and you can't have him. I want him back in one piece."  
There it was. Mycroft stepped forwards into the room, comfortably claiming it as his domain. Sometimes young Sherlock just needed to be shown his place, he thought tenderly.

The widget fitted neatly into the side of the laptop and the screen filled with the feed from one of the cameras in the cell. Quite a good shot, actually.

They'd taken his clothes if course but he was quite decently covered in one of those paper suits, pale blue like pyjamas. He was sitting curled up in the corner, trying to conserve body heat. His arms were clasped round his knees and his fingers twitched, restlessly.

"It's not necessary to break his fingers."

"You don't imagine this is a *live* feed?"

Sherlock's nostrils flared, just for a second, so Mycroft knew they'd reached an understanding.

"Here is the file. Lestrade will be over in an hour to make the arrests. Don't take much longer than that to work it out, there's a good chap."

Sherlock opened the file.

"The lab technician." he said quietly. "Now give him back."

"That really won't do, Sherlock. The lab technician obviously isn't working on his own, and I want the whole ring. I really must ask you to concentrate."

He took out his phone and said "Give us the live feed for a moment."

The picture changed. John had stopped trying to signal "Mycroft" in morse code - really, what must it be like to think so slowly? - and they'd splinted the fingers afterwards.

"Cut the air."

They both watched for a moment, fascinated, and then Sherlock picked up the file again.

"All right, this is a three day case. Not difficult but quite tedious. I'll need Lestrade, yes, but also one of your housebreaking specialists and about half a million in cash. Counterfeit will be perfectly adequate, you can recycle the evidence from the Yately case last year. I'll require evidence that John's receiving air, food, water, medical care and a blanket. You can return him on Friday when you collect the half million. That'll be all."

Mycroft was careful to freeze the frame before he removed the widget. Leave Sherlock with a little reminder of the stakes. Although, after all the years they'd been together, you'd think he would understand the rules by now.

Perhaps not. No matter. But as he turned to leave Sherlock said sharply "Mycroft!"  
"I don't like that tone."  
"And I don't like you playing with my things. Just remember... If it happens again ... I **will** tell mummy."


End file.
